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Sharewatch: Software pays off

VEBNET: THE fledgling payroll software developer is capitalising on the growing trend for blue chip employees to “mix and match” their own online package of benefits such as childcare vouchers, travel and medical insurance, and pensions, life cover and cars. Gerry O’Neill, the chief executive and a former manager at Royal Bank of Scotland and Tesco Personal Finance, expects to break even this year after cutting losses and hiking maiden sales as a quoted company from £25,000 to £668,000 last year. The Edinburgh-based company, which posts half-year results next Friday, has outperformed the FTSE All-Share by more than 18% in the last three months and has seen its shares soar 40% in recent weeks after a buy recommendation from house broker Bell Lawrie White (BLW). Ian McInally, the BLW analyst, said Vebnet had early mover advantage in a potentially huge marketplace and regular licence income from clients including KPMG and